


Episode 2: Whore Bug

by Author_Of_The_Fictional



Series: Noodles, As Usual [2]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Best Friends, Comedy, Friendship, Gen, Magic, Romantic Comedy, Sitcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 06:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14278662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Author_Of_The_Fictional/pseuds/Author_Of_The_Fictional
Summary: Chariot is having thoughts of performing once again as she used to before, and has begun practicing her magic for the purpose of entertainment again, in the smallest way. Croix has been working on an experiment for some time in her very own lab on a rare species of bug, that is known to be difficult to find and even more difficult to track down once found.As the thought of performing again becomes more active to Chariot, one such spell she casts goes awry causing Croix's experiment to be compromised. The bug suddenly gains the the ability to speak and becomes very loud, boisterous, and talkative. Understanding that it isn't being held back by anything now, it flees from the lab at once, leaving Croix and Chariot to find it! Will they be able to?





	Episode 2: Whore Bug

**Author's Note:**

> I have to make a quick note that the title for this episode came from the same friend I mentioned helped conceptualize the series. For whatever reason, the name seemed to match with the silliness of the show, and I thought to include it. I hope you enjoy it.

It had only been a week or so thus far, that I had been living with Croix, and my much more personal look into her inner world was certainly exciting! I was learning so much; that she had a rival named Sienna Dean, that Croix had this place all to herself, and amongst having already moved in and made herself very comfortable, she had also created a lab for herself to work in on her experiments and inventions. And it was just beneath the main level of the house too! That was so cool! 

 

But, despite the wonderful experiences I was having, something felt a little empty. It felt like I was missing something, and though I couldn't really tell what was causing this feeling to spur inside me, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed its biggest cause was the collective memory of my performances, once upon a time.

 

I wanted to make people smile and laugh again. I wanted to take away their troubles. I wanted to practice magic. Well, then I guess there can be no doubt that what I wished to do was really get back into entertaining the people around me with magic, of course, if I were to get back into it, I would do it right this time, instead of what happened last time. Yeah... I think that's still a sore spot for Croix and I. 

 

But regardless, I'm ready! All I need to do is start practicing again, and I'm sure Croix won't mind, being that she's doing all sorts of magical experiments and tests here all the time. 

 

Oh yeah, but before I do anything, I should probably eat first. 

 

 

Heading over into the kitchen, I saw that Croix was already awake and reading the paper. She wanted to see if there were any new reports on the competition, new researcher developments and of course to keep tabs on her latest and greatest rival, Sienna Dean. I never saw her eyes leave the page as it scanned across the words in front of her, even so she did greet me. 

 

"Morning Chariot." She said lowly. 

 

"Morning Croix!" I replied. 

 

"There's tea that's still hot in the pot over there, help yourself. The same applies to whatever you'd like to eat. I think I have some things stored in one of the middle cabinets by the stove." She explained. 

 

I nodded and headed right over to the stove first to pour myself some tea. Fixing it just the way I like it, with about 8 sugar packets and just a drop of milk, I breathed in its sweet aroma, before happily opening the middle cabinets Croix mentioned with some force. Thankfully it wasn't enough to actually wreck the doors to the cabinets themselves, but, if I had applied any more it might have. 

 

I looked upon my choices for today and soon my face drooped in realization that... 

 

"Croix." I said slowly. 

 

"Yeah?" She still didn't look up from her newspaper. 

 

"These are all noodles." I remarked, slowly looking over to her. 

 

She slurped down some of what was in the cup beneath her and I couldn't believe that I hadn't realized until now that that was precisely what she was having for breakfast. Of course. 

 

"Oh, are they?" She said, casually, in a tone that told me she wasn't really paying attention. 

 

"Yes they are!" I exclaimed. 

 

"What's the problem, then? You don't like beef flavor? There should be some chicken in there last I checked. Or wait no, you're French, so maybe I have some special kind of escargot mix..." She trailed in thought, her eyes only briefly removing themselves from the black and white pages before them to look down at the immense mug filled with much ramen still leftover. 

 

"Just forget it! I'll settle for whatever you have here." I sighed and got right to making the stuff, even so I would have much liked a croissant for breakfast or something! 

 

 

With breakfast over but minutes later and Croix's dishes tossed aside right into the sink, amongst many other dirty mugs and teacups, she headed downstairs to her lab. My eyes couldn't help but follow her movements with my beefy noodles halfway out of the bowl and halfway in my mouth. I was very curious what she might be doing down there, as Croix's research always proved to be amazing, but, no, I had other things to focus on. As soon as I was done slurping down breakfast I would start practicing my magic; _tout de suite!_

 

"Okay, Chariot. You can do this. You can do this! Just take a breath in and let it go." I spoke to myself, as I remained upstairs, calming myself and refocusing my attention into what I was doing, even with the lingering curiosity of what Croix could be doing in her lab at the moment. Releasing a few breaths in and out, having closed my eyes previously to them, I opened them when I felt I was finally ready to begin again. 

 

Wand in hand, I began retracing the steps, from what I could remember, of the movements and partial dances I used to perform while casting a spell. Things were quite awkward and off balance without the Shiny Rod's weight to counterbalance me. I never noticed quite how intricate the details to performing this way could be, where each variable needed to be aligned or otherwise -  _crash!_

 

I fell over onto my butt. Cringing as the floor hurt to fall directly onto, I rubbed my backside and forced myself to stand back up. I hadn't even cast an actual spell yet, and already I was falling over; I guess I was more out of practice that I wanted to admit. Okay, but that won't happen this time! All I need to do is keep in mind that I don't have the weight of the Shiny Rod anymore to rely on and I should be fine! 

 

"Here goes, and 1... and 2... and..." I spoke out loud as it seemed I had finally remembered the correct movements and this time hadn't fallen! In feeling as though maybe I could do this, I began again, the same movements, with the intent this time, of casting a spell. 

 

"And 1... and 2... and...  _m _etamorphie faciesse__!" As I cried it out, the magic took effect on my body and shifted me into that of puppy dog. For a moment, it lingered before I changed into a cat, and then a frog, and then a sheep, and then a bear, and then back to myself again with a huge smile on my face. Casting magic for the pure enjoyment and thrill of it again had never felt so good! It was good to know that I still had it. 

 

"Okay, now that I know I can do that in accordance with all the steps again, let's try something a little harder. A harder spell without the Shiny Rod's words... hmmm..." I began to think of something else that I could possibly cast. 

 

In my cogitating, I spotted a common type of ant walking on the ground nearest the the couch. It seemed it was making its way for the kitchen, no doubt to look for scrapped food particles it could potentially eat, and looking at it crawling with such determination, I thought:  _'I have the perfect spell.'_

 

"I want to hear your thoughts, I command you,  _miláte amésos_!" Thought I had aimed my wand at the crawling bug, and I had seen the magic take effect on the end of it, nothing happened to the ant, even after I waited a moment. It seemed almost like my magic had fizzled out before it was able to do anything and there the ant was still crawling; but, I didn't hear anything coming from its mouth, so I had figured the spell hadn't worked. 

 

"Okay, one more time!" I was a little out of practice, so this kind of this was to be expected, after all. But, getting back into position once more, I pointed my wand yet again at the ant moving about the kitchen tile by now, and cast it one more time. 

 

" _Miláte Amésos_!" The magic fizzled out once more and I couldn't imagine why this would be happening to me. I looked at the end of my wand, bringing it closer to my face in frustration, staring at it as though it was a piece of technology that wasn't working correctly. 

 

Puffing my cheeks and then suddenly waving my arm with the hand gripping the wand about in an erratic way, I began expressing that same frustration I felt not but moments ago. The ant had stopped crawling and turned around. I could see its eyes on me, staring at me, as if perhaps a little concerned for my sake, as well as probably amused with how sad this actually was.

 

"Stupid wand, stupid magic, stupid concentration! What am I doing wrong? I don't understand why you're not working with me, you've never done this before. Shiny Rod or no Shiny Rod it shouldn't matter, I should be able to do this even with my being out of practice for so long with this kind of stuff, I mean -..." 

 

I trailed as I noticed its eyes were on me. I squinted at the bug and approached it in a few steps. 

 

"Okay listen here, I know what you're thinking. Well, no I don't, because I would if the spell had worked. But I will get it this next time, I'll show you! So, you can stare at me like that all you want Mr. Ant, but I  _will_ get this. You want to know why? Because I'm Chariot du Nord, and I am the same great performer I once was! Your mocking eyes have no effect on me!" 

 

I bellowed. But, of course, I had to give it one more try! After all, if I can't get this, then what am I even doing? Let's do it!

 

I got back into position and this time pointed my wand at it with more direction than before, more of a directness in my motions, and closed my eyes. I took a breath in and then moments later sighed it out. I opened my eyes, gathering all magic within me to be concentrated at my fingertips and suddenly it began to flow out of the tip of the wand encircling it, and with this, I knew I was ready. It had to work this time! 

 

"Now, ant, I command you,  _miláte amésos_!" The spell's power was off the charts! The magic began to take effect and I thought: ' _This is it!'_  

 

But, within moments it ricocheted off of the floor and away from the ant, and then off the wall, and down the stairs. I watched the ball of a spell travel all the way downstairs and I would imagine through the crash I heard that Croix had managed to avoid the spell, but something else most certainly didn't. I ran down after the ball, following it immediately, and what I was met with was a very.... interesting sight. 

 

"Chariot!" Croix called out my name. 

 

"Croix! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wreck anything, are you okay?!" I asked right away. 

 

"Yes, I'm fine. But it seems some of my lab equipment isn't." She crossed her arms.

 

"I'm so sorry! I'll have it all replaced, I promise!" I began pleading for her forgiveness, and I could feel many sweat-drops forming on the sides of my head. 

 

She sighed, "Thank you, but it's not the lab equipment I'm worried about. I always have spares around here somewhere. What's happened that I'm worried about is my experiment. I was working with a very rare species of bug and all of the work required delicacy, of which is totally ruined now that your spell has crashed into my container containing the bug and set it free." Croix explained. 

 

"Oh." I was only able to say. 

 

"Oh, she says! Oh, that's all she can say! Hahahaha!" A voice rang out from what appeared like nowhere. Croix and I immediately started searching around for where it was coming from, when suddenly there was a bug hovering before both of us. Our eyes nearly crossed looking at it, even so by the voice it seemed to be female. Not only that, but, it was now dressed in a fur scarf, and somehow had lipstick applied to its buggy lips. If this weren't such a weird moment, I would have admired her sense in fashion. 

 

No Chariot, now's not the time to be thinking about that! 

 

"You - you're..." Croix trailed. 

 

"The bug you were working with, that's right, hi, how are ya, how are ya doin'? Boy, I gotta tell you, it's soooo great to be out of that thing you trapped me in, um, Croix was it? Sorry, this whole being able to speak thing is new to me!" She had a funny way of speaking - wait! 

 

"Chariot... would you mind explaining why my experiment is suddenly able to speak?" Croix decided to question. 

 

"Uh well you see. I was practicing magic upstairs. You know... I had really been missing the good ol' days when I used to perform for people, so I thought it might be a good idea to start practicing again. Once I got the steps back I wanted to try something a little harder than metamorphosis magic, so I..." She cut me off. 

 

"Cast the spell that allows animals to speak? What were you aiming it at?" Croix was trying her hardest to remain calm, but it wasn't working. 

 

"An ant." I hid behind my wand some, not that that would help any. 

 

"An ant?" She said in a question, though her tone of voice sounded more like a statement, as a hand came up to hold her head between two fingers. 

 

"An ant." I repeated. 

 

"Oh if you want to know what an ant's thinkin', that one's super easy! All you have to do is look at where it's goin', and you can bet that wherever it's headed is the only thing on its mind. And if it could speak, it would tell you so itself. Fortunately bein' a bug and all, I can understand what most bug language is communicating across. And that ant in the kitchen, has snuck down here quite a few times for a snack in the middle of the night when the Professor over here is up late workin' herself! And I gotta tell ya, food _is_ the only thing on his mind. Hmph, you'd think he'd pay attention when there's a beautiful specimen right in front of him. Men are all the same, they wouldn't know a woman if it hit 'em right between the eyes!" The bug began to laugh loudly again; my, what a boisterous bug. 

 

"Um, pardon me." I interjected into her speech a little. I had a concern I wanted to address. "But if he's an ant and you're... well.... whatever you are, then why would you want a relationship with him? I mean... think about it. You two come from different worlds, and if that isn't enough, just think, with your capabilities of flight and his being earthbound it  _could_ complicate things for you and-..." Once more I was cut off. 

 

"Chariot, not helping." Croix shook her head. 

 

Nope, I imagined it wouldn't help. 

 

"Anyway, I'm tired of being cooped up in here! I think it's high time that I skedaddle! While I get reacquainted with the world, maybe I can find myself a man! Ha! Oh, but.... it's been a time ladies! Hasta la pasta losers! Hahaha!" The bug uttered those words and suddenly flew straight out of the room like a bullet leaving a gun. Not that I had ever seen one up close or anything, it's just what I've heard a lot of things that go fast compared to. 

 

Croix's eyes widened as she witnessed it move, having jumped after it to stop it from leaving initially, only to have the attempt fail and the bug sprint out of one of the open windows upstairs. It was open just a crack, but enough for the bug to make it through. It took a moment for Croix to recover from falling on her face before she cried: 

 

"After it!" 

 

As she started to sprint upstairs and towards the door, I wondered... 

 

"Hasta la pasta...? Isn't it vista...? Do I have the correct terminology? What would that bug know of our language anyway-..." As Croix didn't hear my footsteps after her own, she called back to hurry me along. 

 

"Chariot!" 

 

Startled out of my daydream, I snapped into action and followed her. 

 

"Coming!" 

 

 

Despite searching around town for a several hours we weren't able to recover the bug. It seemed Croix and I both were running out energy on the hunt for the same boisterous insect that Croix once was experimenting on. She took a seat, breathless from all the running, on a nearby bench and I couldn't help but follow and sit down right next to her. I looked at her concernedly as she held her head between her hands, leaning her elbows on her knees. 

 

"Hey, it'll be alright. We'll find the bug and bring her back and it'll all be fine. You'll see. Also, did I mention how sorry I am?" I smiled nervously; a gentle hand came up to rub circles on Croix's back, hoping it would comfort her some. 

 

"Yeah, only at ever juncture of this search." She answered my question, even so it didn't need an answer. She knew how sorry I was. 

 

"Oh, sorry." I said. 

 

"And again." She replied. 

 

"Sorry." I reiterated once more. 

 

"It's okay." She said. 

 

"Yeah, sorry." I looked down. 

 

"CHARIOT." She looked at me. 

 

"Sor-... Yeah." I looked at her. "Heh." I could feel a sweat-drop roll down the side of my head facing away from Croix. I didn't wish to make her any more angry than she was right now. 

 

She took a breath and sighed. 

 

"What if we never find that bug? I gave it a name and everything." Croix seemed unusually vulnerable in this one moment. 

 

"Oh? Well, what'd you name her? Maybe, we might be able to find her easier if we call out her name." I suggested. 

 

"Esmerelda." She said softly and quite seriously. I had to take a moment to steady myself. It's not that I wanted to make fun of her for naming her pet bug something like that, it was just... that wasn't the name that I had been expecting at all, even so, thinking about it now, it was a nice name, anyway. Yeah, props to Croix for coming up with it! 

 

"Well, maybe if we call out Esmerelda we'll find the bug! ESMERELDA!" I called out loudly. Then I stood up and positioned my hands around my mouth to augment the sound. "ESMERELDAAAA!" I shouted. 

 

"ESMERELDA ISN'T HERE! SHE DIED 150 YEARS AGO, LADY!" Called out the voice of a man inside one of the homes here. He must have heard me calling out to the bug and assumed I was looking for a person; yeah, maybe screaming her name wasn't the way to go either. 

 

"Chariot... I think it would be best if we just went home for today." Croix spoke after a minute. 

 

"What? But we can't give up now. We're almost to her, I can feel it. If we give up now we might never find her!" I exclaimed. 

 

"Enough already." She shook her head. Then she stood up and proceeded to walk in the direction of home. I stood up and followed her, hurrying along so that I could walk right beside her. 

 

"But, Croix! What about your experiment?" I questioned. 

 

"For now, I suppose I'll just have to abandon it until we can find the bug we're looking for, or until I find a new one to work with. There are many other things I can be working on, so I'll just continue where I left off with my other projects. Even though this was the most interesting, it certainly wasn't the most important and the experiment was nearing its ending stages anyway." Croix was really trying to look on the bright side of things; I admired that. I knew how much this must have upset her inside but, still, to see her making an effort not to lose her temper was very refreshing. It seemed, in some small way, Croix was turning over a new life. 

 

We continued to walk together in silence for a while. The sky became overcast though it didn't seem like it was going to rain. I looked up at the darkening clouds passing in front of the sun as we walked, and then...  _guuuuuurgle._

 

My stomach growled. It was loud enough that Croix heard it, and for a moment we stopped walking. She turned around to face me, and I felt another one of my trademark sweat-drops rolling down the side of my face from embarrassment. I tried to come up with a clever line to play it off and asked: 

 

"So... ehehaha, what's for dinner?"   
  
  


Croix smirked and then continued walking, with myself in tow. 

 

"Noodles. As usual." 

**Author's Note:**

> This would be the end of Episode 2.   
> Stay Tuned for the Next Episode: 
> 
> Episode 3: Hat Alcor...


End file.
